Dietary supplementation with Celecoxib to prevent the welfare problem of tibial dyschondroplasia in broiler chickens

•TD is an avian welfare problem cause lameness in fast-growing broiler chickens.•Therapeutic role of Celecoxib investigated in thiram-induced TD chickens.•The expression level of COX-1/2, MMP-13 and ColX genes were investigated.•Celecoxib plays a therapeutic role in the welfare problem of TD.•Celecoxib supplementation prevented chondrocytes of thiram induced TD chickens from damage. The pathogenicity of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is unknown; therefore, it has not been completely evacuated. In this study, we planned to find the possible therapeutic role of Celecoxib supplementation in thiram-induced TD chickens. Three hundred sixty (n = 360) broiler chickens were divided into 3 groups as control (C), thiram (T) and Celecoxib supplementary group (ST) for day 1 (8 day old), 2 (9 day old), 4 (11 day old) and 6 (13 day old). Thiram 100 mg·kg−1 was given in group (T) along with basal diet to induce TD. Supplementation of Celecoxib at 40 mg·kg−1 was given in group (ST) along with the basal diet and thiram. Clinically it was observed that broiler chickens of group T had more difficulty in locomotion than group ST. Histopathological results revealed that damaged chondrocytes increased from day 1 to 6 in group T. However, Celecoxib supplementation to thiram induced TD chickens reduced the tibial lesions significantly. Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) gene was highly expressed at different stages (P < 0.01) while its protein expression was seen at a lower level. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene and protein expression were also changed at different stages. Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) gene were observed high on day 1 (P < 0.01), which insignificantly changed on day 2 and 4. MMP-13 protein expression found reduced parallel to its gene expression (P < 0.01), on day 2. Type X collagen (ColX) gene expression was upregulated (P < 0.01). After adding Celecoxib in the diet, both COX-1 and COX-2 gene (P < 0.01) and their protein expression expressed similar to the control group, and to some extent observed parallel to MMP-13 gene (P < 0.01) & protein expression. In conclusion, changes in the expression of COX-1/2, MMP-13 and ColX might be related to TD occurrence. The dietary supplementation of Celecoxib plays a therapeutic role to overcome the welfare problem of TD.